IMD issues orange alert as cold wave grips Chandigarh
Chandigarh's night temperature dropped to 5.6°C, with dense fog disrupting flights and trains. Air quality remains poor; an orange alert is issued.
The night temperature in the city fell to 5.6°C for the second time this month on Sunday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). While chances of dense fog are expected to persist until the end of the month, temperatures are likely to remain along similar lines. The minimum temperature dropped from 6.9°C on Saturday to 5.6°C on Sunday, 1.1 degrees below normal. Earlier this month, on December 3, the minimum temperature fell to 5.4°C, which remains the lowest recorded this season.
Historically, last year’s minimum had dropped further to 4.7°C on December 12, while the all-time December record was set in 1973 when the mercury hit 0°C on December 31. On Sunday, Chandigarh was notably colder than several hill stations, including Shimla (9°C), Dharamshala (9.6°C), and Kasauli (9.4°C). IMD Chandigarh Director Surender Paul explained that an active Western Disturbance (WD) over the region has pushed hill station temperatures slightly above normal, while relatively less fog at night in the plains allows the minimum temperature to fall further.
AQI stays ‘poor’ for third straight day
The city’s air quality also remains a concern, staying in the “poor” category for the third straight day with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 223. This can cause breathing discomfort during prolonged exposure. While Panchkula’s data was unavailable Sunday, it has trended more polluted than Chandigarh recently. In comparison, Delhi recorded a “very poor” AQI of 390.
Dense fog hits flight, train services
The IMD has issued an “orange alert” for very dense fog and cold wave conditions in the city for Monday, the second-highest warning in their four-color system, advising residents to be prepared. This warning is expected to be demoted to yellow from Tuesday onwards. Meanwhile, the maximum temperature rose from 20.1°C on Saturday to 21.7°C on Sunday, 1.9 degrees above normal. Over the next three days, the maximum is expected to hover around 20°C while the minimum fluctuates between 6°C and 7°C.
The dense fog has severely crippled travel. Chandigarh International Airport saw seven flight cancellations on Sunday, following nine cancellations on Saturday. Impacted arrivals included flights from Pune, Bangalore, and Mumbai, while departures to Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bangalore were also scrapped. Rail services were equally hit; the LKO–CDG Express was delayed by three hours, and the Vande Bharat Express from Amb arrived over an hour late. Long-haul services like the Netaji Express and SBP–JAT Express are currently running between one and five hours behind schedule, with expected arrivals pushed to Monday.
Chandigarh's night temperature dropped to 5.6°C, the second time this month, with dense fog expected to continue. The air quality remains poor at an AQI of 223. An orange alert for fog and cold wave conditions has been issued, impacting flight and train services. Historically, temperatures in December have dropped to 0°C, with travel disruptions reported.